Vehicle body



T. VIGMOSTAD ETYAL Re. 23,007

VEHICLE BODY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 15, 1948.

Original Filed Sept. 2'7, 1941 y yz INVE Youa a/vwk ATTORNE Y5:

T. VIGMOSTAD ET AL VEHICLE BODY June 15, 1948.

Original Filed Sept. 2'7, 1941 av I - 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A! zzzzZ.

A TTORNE Y5.

June 8- T. VIGMOSTAD ETAL 2 VEHICLE BODY I Original Filed Sept. 27, 1941 s sheets-sheet 3 v INV NTORS. 31.5 y! #705 4d,

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, ATTORNEY Reieoued June 15,

VEHICLE BODY Trygve Vlgmostad, Detroit, Mich., and Soren N.

' Juui, deceased, late of Detroit, Mich, by Briggs Manufacturing Company, asaignee, Detroit,

Mich. a corporation of Michigan Original No. 2,411,945, dated December a, 1946, Serial No. 412,538, September 27, 1941. Application for reissue October 17, 1947, Serial No.

6 Claims. (Cl. ass-12o) This invention relates to vehicle bodies and more particularly to motor vehicle bodies'of the convertible type.

Serious dimculties have been experienced with the bodies of this type and particularly with the devices for locking collapsible or foldable tops thereof to the rigid parts of the body structure. It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved motor vehicle body of the convertible type having means for positively locking and unlocking the collapsible top of a vehicle body to the front thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle body of the above described character having locking means including-a plurality. of locking devices which are simultaneously actuated in'a simplified manner.

'A further object of the invention is to provide an improved locking means including a plurality of locking devices which can be operated from the driver's seat and without leaving the same,

and which can be locked and unlocked quickly and easily, and with the aid of a single control member or handle.

a A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved locking'means for a convertible motor vehicle body, which means are of the positive type and which enable a secure and tight locking of the foldable top header tothe rigid portion of the body, and in which the tightness of thelock is not affected by the wear of the locking members.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved motor vehicle body of the convertible type including locking means which, with the exception of control members, are entirely concealed from view and have no exposed parts which are unsightly and which, being located close to the passenger's head, might otherwise be a source of serious injury even in a minor collision.

A still further obiect of the invention is to provide an improved motor vehicle body of the and dependable in operation, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side 'view of a a motor vehicle having a body of the convertible type embodying the present invention, the fold'able top being shown unlocked and about to be folded toward the rear of the vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a view similar in part to Fig.1, the foldabie top being shown locked to the windshield structure of the vehicle.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the front portion of the foldable top with the canvas cover thereof being removed to show the header member in plan view.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken through the center of the foldable top header, the view being taken in the direction of the arrows, with the sectional plane passing through the line 44 of Fig, 3, the foldabie top header being shown ready to be locked to the windshield member.

Fig. 5 is a View similar in part to Fig. 4, the operative parts being shown in position when the foldable top header is locked to the windshield member. Y

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows on the section plane passing through the line i-B of Fig. 3, said view showing one end of the top header on an enlarged scale and locked to the windshield member.

Fig.7 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows on the section plane passing through the line 1-1 of Fig. 6 and showing one I of the dowels carried by the windshield member.

convertible type, means being provided therein character which is simple in construction, safe Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows on the section plane passing through the line 8-8 'of Fig. 7 and showing one of the anti-rattle springs carried by the locking rods.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken in th'e'direction of the arrows on the section plane passing through the section line 9-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 10 is a view similarin part to Fig. 3 and showing the right hand portion of the fcldable top header with parts of the header being' broken away to show the relative position of the locking means, the header being shown unlocked.

Fig. 11 is a view similar in part to'Fig. 10 showing the relative positions of the locking means when the foldable top header is locked tothe windshield member.

. s Beiorles expiainm g in detail the present invention it to be understood that the invention is notiimited in its application to the details construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, "since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of bepracticed or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the drawings there is shown, by way of example, a motor vehicle having a body of the con- 4 is held in the channel 24 with the aid of a blurality oi upwardly bent lingers 22 provided on the bottom wall of the channel 24 as is best shown in Figs. 4. 5 and 6. The front edge of the foldable top 25 is connected to the front tacking strip 22 with the aid of tacks 42 of a Weatherstrip ll covering said connection. To the top tacking strip 21 there is similarly secured a Weatherstrip 42 providing a weather seal between the header 25 and the foldable top 22 in the locked position oi the header. I

Along the upper front edge of the windshield member 22 there is secured a resilient, preferably a rubber strip l2, the .ends of which curve rearwardly as can be best understood from an examination of Fig. 6:. Along the rear upper edge of the member 22 there is provided a second rubber strip ll. In the closed position of the top header 25, such as is illustrated in Fig. 5, the bottom surface thereof contacts said rubber strips 42 and 44 and presses against the same to form a tween the windshield 2| and the transverse mem ber 22 to seal the same and prevent rattling.

The body is of the so-called convertible type V and has a collapsible or foldable top which may be folded to the rear of the vehicle, opening the passenger compartment thereof from the top. In accordance with the objects of the present invention there are provided improved means whereby the front of the collapsible or foldable top may be secured or locked quickly to said transverse member 22, thus rigidly connecting said top to the body structure. A transversely extending foldable top header is of a hollow construction and is made preferably of sheet metal by stamping operations. The ends of the header 25 are secured with the aid of suitable brackets It to the ends of the side members IQ of the foldable top frame. The frame itself does not form a part of the present invention, and the description of its construction and operation is omitted for this reason. To the lower front edge of the header 25 there is securely fastened a foldable top 25 made of any suitable macontrol member or handle 2| manually operable from'the operator's or drivers seat.

The'hollow body of the foldable top header 2-5 is of a flat V type to correspond to the ,V type or form of the windshield 2|. Said hollow body of the header 25 comprises generally a front piece 22 and a rear or lower piece 22 secured together in any suitable manner, such as with the aid of spot welding. In the front piece 22 there are formed two channels 24 and 25. The front channel 24 carries a front tacking strip 22, while the top channel 25 carries a top tacking trip 21. The top channel 2 5 and consequently the p tacking strip 21 have outward extremities which curve downwardly and meet the ends of the rearwardly curving extremities of the front channel 24 and the front tacking strip 28, as is best shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The top tacking strip 21 is held in the channel 25 by fingers 22 integrally formed on the double seal between the top header 25 and the windshield member 22. The windshield member 22 also carries members or moldings l5 and 22 secured to said member in any suitable manner and providing an ornamentation and an additional seal between the rubber strip 2| and windshield member 22. r

The locking means carried within the header 25 comprises a central member 55 having a wedge end 55a adapted to enter a wedge depression 22a provided in the central dowel 29. The central member 5|! is reciprocated in a predetermined path extending longitudinally of the vehicle, the reciprocating movements of said member being effected with the aid of a screw 5| engaging an internally threaded hole provided in said member 55. I The screw 5| is, in turn, actuated with the aid of a handle 2| connected to said screw 5| and arranged outside of the header 25 within the reach of the driver. The central member 55 is provided with wings 52 to which there are hingediy connected the ends of the two bell cranks 54,which bell cranks are, in turn, hingedly secured to a reinforcing bracket 55 as indicated at 55. The opposite ends of said bell cranks 54 are hingedly connected, as indicated at 51, to the inner ends of two locking rods 52 extending outwardly from the central member 50 toward the outer dowels 21. The locking rods 52 are provided with wedge ends 520. adapted to enter corresponding wedge depressions 21a of the outer dowels '21. Near the ends of said locking rods 55 there are provided two supportingguides 55 secured to the header lower member 22 and adapted to guide said locking rods in their predetermined path and to prevent bending f the rods due to the reaction of the outer dowels 21. It can be clearly seen from an examination of the drawings that wearcf the wedge members may slightly change the stroke of the wedge members but will not produce any rattles in the mechanisms. In order to prevent rattling of the locking rods 52 in their locked or unlocked positions, two antirattle springs 52 are provided. In the present embodiment of the invention said springs are of the strip type and they are riveted to the rods 55, as is best shown in Figs. 3 and 8. The locking rods 52 are preferably of a hollow construction,

as is best shown in Figs. 8 and 9. To the lower or rear piece 22 of the header 25 there are secured with the aid of screws 6| pieces 52 having central flanged openings 52 registering with said holes 22 and adapted to receive the dowels 21. Said pieces 22 may be finished to serve ornamentation saoor purposes. It is preferable to nickel plate or chrome plate the same.

The dowels II and I! are secured to the windshield member 28 in any suitable manner. One of the preferred constructions of the dowel may include a forged dowel having flanges at its lower portion, with which it 'is riveted to the upper wall of said windshield member 23. A piece 84 similar in its function to outer pieces 62 is secured at the lower surface of the header 25 to receive a central dowel 29.

In operation, when it is desired to close the foldable top, the same is brought forward into the position indicated in Fig. 1 either manually or with the aid of power means, and the openings in the header 25 are brought over the dowels 21 and II, whereupon the header is pressed downward to cause said dowels to enter said'openings. Thereupon the handle 3| is manually rotated to cause forward movement of the central member 50 as well as outward movements of the locking rods 55. The wedge end of the central member 50 and the wedge ends of the locking rods 58 enter the wedge depressions of the dowels 21 and 25 and asrotation of the handle 3| is continued, the header 25 is pressed tightly down.

The above described operation may be best understood from an examination of Figs. 4, 5

and 6. In Fig. 4 the header :5 is shown in position when it is about to be pushed downward by the action of the central member 50. In Fig. 5 the header is shown in its downward position compressing the rubber strips 43 and 44.

By virtue of the above described construction, there is thus provided an improved motor vehicle convertible body having a foldable top which can be brought forward and locked to the windshield of the vehicle in a simplified manner. The locking means provided in the foldable top are entirely concealed within the header 25and do not have mechanical parts or mechanism protruding outside of the header, which may be unsightly and dangerous. The locking operation requires only a few turns of the handle 52, is extremely simple and does not require any skill whatsoever. The unlocking operation is just as simple and it requires several turns of the handle 52 in the reverse direction to raise the header 25 preparatory to shifting the foldable top to the rear of the vehicle.

We claim:

1. In a vehicle body, a windshield having a header, a movable top terminating at its front end in a. rigid transverse member, said header having at an intermediate point and at opposite ends three upstanding studs adapted to enter apertures in said member, three locking devices carried by said member including two devices shiftable transversely of the body and an intermediate device shiftable longitudinally of the body, said studs having recesses into which said devices are adapted to enter and said recesses and devices having surfaces slidingly engageable to exert wedging action and to draw down said transverse member against said header, means for shifting said intermediate device longitudinally, and bell crank levers pivotally connecting said intermediate device to said transversely shiftable devices.

2. In a vehicle body, a windshield having a header, a movable top terminating at its front end in a rigid transverse member, said header having at an intermediate point and at opposite ends three upstanding studs adapted to enter apertures in said member, three locking devices carried by said member including two devices shiftable transversely of the body and an intermediate device shiftable longitudinally of the body, said studs having recesses into which said devices are adapted to enter and said recesses and devices having surfaces slidingly engageabie to exert wedglng action and to draw down said transverse member against said header, a pair of two-arm levers each pivoted to the header intermediate its ends, one arm of each lever being pivoted to said longitudinally shiftable device and the other arm being pivoted to one of said transversely shiftable devices and said levers adapted to simultaneously shift said last mentioned devices transversely upon shifting said other device longitudinally.

' 3. In a vehicle body, a windshield structure, a foldable top, a header secured to said foldable top and adapted to be connected to said windshield structure, three dowels arranged on said windshield structure and adapted to enter a corresponding plurality of openings in said header, locking meanshoused within said header and including a central wedge member and two rods all having inclined wedge-shaped ends, said central wedge member being shiftable longitudinally of the body and said rod ends being shiftable transversely of the body to slidingly engage surfaces of said dowels to draw down and lock said header to the windshield, and levers pivotally mounted on the header to swing about vertical axes and connecting said wedge member and rods for transmitting motion to said rods upon shifting the wedge member longitudinally of the body. I

4. In a vehicle body, a windshield structure, a foldable top, a header secured to said foldable top and adapted to be connected to said windshield structure, three dowels arranged on said windshield structure and adapted to enter a cor-,- responding plurality of openings in said header, locking means housed within said header and including 'a,central locking member and two rods terminating in locking devices, said central locking member being shiftable longitudinally of the body and said rods being shiftabletransversely of the body to cause said locking devices to slidingly engage surfaces on said dowels to draw down and lock said header to the windshield. levers plvotally mounted on the header to swin about vertical. axes and connecting said central locking member and rods for transmitting motion to said rods upon shifting the central locking member longitudinally of the body, and a rotatable handle connected to said central looking member for shifting the same.

5. In a vehicle body, a windshield structure, a foldable top, a header secured to said foldable top and adapted to be connected to said windshield structure, locking means carried by said header and adapted to lock positively said header to said windshield structure, said means including a locking device atthe central portion or the header and two locking devices at opposite ends of the header, the central locking device being bodily slidable forwardly of the body to engage a fixed member on the windshield structure and I the end locking devices being bodily slidable in 6. In a vehicle body, a windshield structure, a ioldable top, a hollow header secured to said toldable top and adapted to be connected to said windshield structure, locking means permanently housed within said header and adapted to lock positively said header to said windshield structure, said means including a locking device at the central portion of the header and two looking devices at opposite ends of the header, the

central locking device being bodily slidable for wardly of the body to engage a fixed member on. the windshield structure and the end locking devices being bodily slidable in opposite directions l 1 motion to the latter irom thecentrai locking do} vice.

s 8 outwardly oi the body to engage iixed members on the windshield structure. a pair or bell crank levers pivotally mounted on the header to swing about vertical axes and each pivotally connecting said central locking device with one of said end lockins devices to transmit motion to the latter from the central locking device, and a rotatable handle connected to said central locking device for shifting the same in one direction or the other. v

I'RYGVE VIGMOSTAD. A BRIGGS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Assiqnee, By ALEXANDER D. BLACKWOOD, v

v Secretarll. 

